Is Iran's space monkey a fake?

Images from press conference for 1st primate launched by Tehran suggest story made up

Published: 02/02/2013 at 10:02 PM

(London Telegraph) Tehran chalked up a victory against its Western detractors this week by presenting – with considerable fanfare – its first simian space traveller.

Iran claimed to be one small monkey step away from manned space flight.

In Israel, there was concern that Monday’s apparently successful rocket launch proved Iran had overcome crippling international sanctions to develop advanced technology that could be used to power nuclear warheads.

But the fear has since subsided with the release of images from a press conference billed as a hero’s welcome for Iran’s first monkey astronaut.